Jerusalem, Feb 26 (.) Beneath the trade agreements and technology showcases of Prime Minister Modi’s Israel visit lies a more consequential story, one of careful diplomatic positioning, revived regional ambitions, and a quietly assertive India navigating one of the world’s most volatile geopolitical theatres with growing confidence.
India’s strategic messaging on the Palestinian question was deliberate and layered. Addressing the Knesset, PM Modi offered what Foreign Secretary Misri described as a “comprehensive framing” of the issue, one that acknowledged the weight of history without abandoning India’s long-standing support for Palestinian statehood.
Modi explicitly referenced US President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and reaffirmed India’s support for the Gaza peace initiative, a calibrated endorsement that keeps New Delhi aligned with Washington without alienating Arab partners.
“This is not the time to lose hope but to sustain it,” Modi said, a formulation that serves as both moral exhortation and strategic positioning for a country that has consistently sought to be a bridge rather than a combatant in the region’s fault lines.
When questioned about the escalating US-Iran standoff and its implications for regional stability, Misri confirmed that the two Prime Ministers did address the mounting tensions, though he declined to go into specifics.
Misri said, “PM Modi made clear India’s firm belief in the value of dialogue and the pursuit of peaceful solutions, and reiterated India’s readiness to offer support toward a peaceful resolution if called upon. For a country that maintains deep energy and economic ties with Iran while simultaneously deepening its strategic partnership with Israel and the United States, this posture of principled equidistance is not diplomatic vagueness — it is strategic architecture.”
The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), potentially one of the most transformative infrastructure initiatives of the coming decade received significant attention in Modi’s talks with Israeli PM Netanyahu.
Misri acknowledged that the regional situation continues to weigh on IMEC’s progress, and that relationships between corridor states must reach a certain level of normalisation before the full initiative can be rolled out.
However, he struck an optimistic note, pointing out that individual countries are already advancing components of the corridor in their national capacities, and that progress need not be held entirely hostage to regional diplomacy.
Misri described Israel as a “potentially very important actor” in IMEC’s success, even though it is not a formal member — signalling that India is quietly working to bring Israel into the corridor’s orbit as regional conditions allow.
At the strategic level, the visit also served a domestic purpose, advancing Modi’s flagship vision of a developed, self-reliant India.
PM Modi said that Technology will be central to the future partnership, announcing the launch of a Critical and Emerging Technologies Partnership to boost cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and critical minerals.
PM Modi welcomed an agreement enabling the use of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Israel and said both sides were committed to cooperation in digital health. He also highlighted decades of defence collaboration and said the two countries would move forward on joint development, joint production and transfer of technology. Cooperation will also expand into civil nuclear energy and space, he added.
In agriculture, Modi said both sides had resolved to give their long-standing cooperation a “futuristic direction.” India plans to increase the number of Israel-supported Centres of Excellence in agriculture to 100 and develop “Villages of Excellence” to extend Israeli technologies to rural areas. An India-Israel Innovation Centre for Agriculture will also be established.
The Prime Minister said people-to-people ties remained a key pillar of the relationship. Under a 2023 manpower mobility agreement, Indian workers have contributed to Israel’s construction and caregiving sectors, and cooperation is being expanded to commerce and services. An India-Israel Academic Forum will be set up to connect youth, researchers and innovators.
On regional and global issues, Modi said both sides discussed advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the India-Israel-UAE-USA grouping (I2U2).
Reaffirming a joint stance against extremism, Modi said, “There is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form or manifestation, terrorism cannot be accepted.” He added, “We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so.”
Referring to West Asia, Modi said peace and stability in the region were directly linked to India’s security interests and reiterated support for dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts. “Humanity must never become a victim of conflict,” he said, expressing support for ongoing peace efforts in Gaza.
By framing Israeli expertise in science, technology, research, and innovation as a lever for achieving Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the government is embedding this bilateral relationship within India’s larger national development narrative .. . KK